1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatuses and utensils used to cook meats, namely an apparatus that will a hold a piece of food upright within a cooking apparatus, such as a barbecue pit.
2. Background
A variety of apparatuses are used to position chickens and game fowl in an upright position for cooking. These apparatuses generally comprise an upstanding member connected to a wide base that is configured to collect any of the drippings that may fall from the fowl during cooking. Because the bases are configured to receive the drippings, they generally do not allow for complete heat and airflow around all sides of the fowl, resulting in increased cooking times and uneven cooking.
Prior cooking methods have also included inserting an open, partially filled beer can into the cavity of the chicken and positioning the beer can over a grill. While this method seems viable, the can is prone to toppling. Additionally, the paint on the sides of the beer cans may vaporize and/or otherwise penetrate into the chicken. What is needed is an apparatus that provides even cooking along the sides of a chicken while eliminating the problems associated with prior art methods.
The present invention provides a solution to the problems found in prior methods. The apparatus comprises a support base that prevents the apparatus from toppling when a chicken or other food has been positioned on the apparatus and an upstanding member to hold the food. As explained in more detail below, the configuration of the support base allows heat to efficiently pass along the sides of the chicken without being significantly diverted around the support base as in the prior art, thus resulting in more efficient and even cooking. While processes for casting cookware from iron are well known in the art, the benefits of doing so may not be. The use of cast iron in the construction of the apparatus helps ensure the apparatus has favorable heat retention properties and even heat distribution properties. These properties promote even cooking by minimizing hot spots in the apparatus which can occur when other metals are employed. When cast iron is properly seasoned (such as by coating it with oil or fat product and heated), it produces a non-stick surface. The use of cast iron also accentuates the flavor of the resulting cooked chicken or other food. Additionally, cast iron imparts a significant amount of beneficial dietary iron to a user""s food. Clearly the use of cast iron is not merely a design choice among equivalent materials, but rather provides the apparatus with important functional differences not found in non-iron cookware.
The configuration of the upstanding member helps form a seal with the internal cavity of the chicken forcing the seasoning to pass into the chicken from the cavity, thereby enhancing the flavor of the meat. When liquid seasoning is used (as discussed below), the configuration of the upstanding member promotes a moister finished product.
With the aforementioned considerations in mind, it is therefore an object of this invention to provide an apparatus for cooking meats that promotes even cooking through the entirety of the meat.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method of efficiently and effectively cooking a piece of meat while providing enhanced seasoning and moisture content during the cooking process.
These and other advantages and objects of this invention shall become apparent from the ensuing description of the invention.
The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for cooking meats. The cooking apparatus comprises a base positionable adjacent to a heat source and configured to support an upstanding member. The base is configured to allow air currents to flow substantially along the upstanding member during cooking. The cooking apparatus further comprises an upstanding member positioned on the base and configured to form a chamber therein. A food seasoning may be positioned within the chamber before a piece of food is positioned on the upstanding member.
The method for cooking food, using a cooking apparatus, comprises the steps of (a) positioning a food seasoning within the chamber of the cooking apparatus; (b) positioning a piece of food on the upstanding member; (c) positioning the apparatus near a source of heat; and, (d) providing heat to cook the food. The food preferably has a cavity therein so that the chamber and the cavity form a substantial seal therebetween.